My first sprint triathlon. Riding a road bike that is too big for me and with a crooked helmet! (July 2011)
The day before I completed my first sprint triathlon, I signed up for my first Ironman. I trained with this goal in mind for 1 year. 6 of those months I followed a very structured training plan, and the last 3 I was so busy that I hardly saw friends or had a social life outside my triathlon circle. Needless to say, I was ready for a break…but life had something different planned for me. I did not finish Ironman Coeur d’Alene, and the moment I was pulled off the bike course just after mile 90, I vowed to do another Ironman.
My Plans Post Ironman – Put on Hold
- Pay off triathlon debt
- Save money
- Take time off from training and relax
- Focus on running, my passion
- August: PR at America’s Finest City Half Marathon (current PR is 1:51:51)
- September: Complete Napa Ragnar Relay Ultra as “The Most Interesting Team in the World”
- December: Race Las Vegas Half Marathon
- February: Qualify for Boston Marathon 2014 at Surf City Marathon 2013 (break 3:35)
My New Plans Post Ironman
- Find a second Ironman in 2012 and signup (Cozumel??)
- Train my butt off for Ironman #2, and focus more on cycling
- Find a miraculous way to cover another $3k+ in Ironman costs
- Complete more triathlons for practice
- Complete running events only if they fit into my Ironman training plan
The funny thing is, I think I’m ok with this outcome. I remember completing my last Ironman training run the day before the race and wondering what life was going to be like post-Ironman. What would I do with my free time? Watch TV? Go shopping? Those things don’t exactly interest me anymore, and I’m sure I would have just wanted to keep working out in one form or another. Plus, I still have A LOT to learn and huge room for improvement in both the swim and the bike. I don’t have to focus on “just finishing” the Ironman – I can focus on finishing strong.
Now, it’s time for me to take on Ironman Training Part 2, and set out to finish what I started one year ago.
Ironman Coeur d’Alene. Riding a tri bike that fits and with my helmet on straight. (June 2012)
“Priority number 1: paying off triathlon debt. ”
How true. Refreshingly honest.
You WILL be an Ironman in Cozumel! You CAN do this!!!!
You are going to dominate Cozumel with your additional training. Boston will be there for you next year, even if it’s not at Surf City. Although I have a good feeling that if you did decide to do Surf City you would probably qualify easily with a year of Ironman training behind you!
And as always, let me know if you need a buddy for any swims, bikes or runs!